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A reliable and sturdy vacuum cleaner

I had this vacuum cleaner before my current model and I have to say it was one of the best I have ever had.

It has a great power of suction and is really good on both carpet and laminate flooring.

It is really easy to empty and also really easy to take off the attachments to use for the stairs and corners or skirting boards for example.

It is also really satisfying to see the amount that you have hoovered up! Makes you feel like your house is much cleaner after using it!

The only disadvantages I would give this product is that is is really quite heavy to lift up the stairs and because I am quite short it was always a bit of a struggle as the cleaner itself stands quite high off the ground. The other disadvantage is that it doesn't get overly close to the walls so you need to take the attachment off for lots of areas.

Other than that it's great.

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Great one off invrstment with no extra costs to follow

This is the second dyson I have owned, the exact same model. I have always been so impressed with dysons, you really cant go wrong with one. They suck up more dirt than any other vacuum cleaner I've ever tried. They are a lot pricier than most other cleaners availlable out there, but they last so long! My current vacuum was bought in around 2002 and it is still going strong. It is started to make some funny noises, so im sure it will need replacing in the near future, but I will be heading straight to the dyson aisle to buy my third! One fabulous feature of all dysons it that they don't require a bag, so there's no messy bag to replace and also no extra cost! So if you add up the cost of 12 years of hoover bags, maybe the dyson costs the same as a regular hoover! So it is an investment that everybody should choose.

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I heart my Dyson

*Me and my Dyson*

I purchased this for the costly sum of some £150 almost 10 years ago now. I have seen this model second hand on various sites for around £70. Whilst I love my good old reliable Dyson, you can get much newer versions out there for a better price so if I was looking to purchase a hoover now I wouldn't buy this second hand. Saying that, you never know when you may see a bargain and I definitely don't think this hoover's age should completely discount it!

*Looks matter*

The Dyson DC04 is a traditional upright vacuum cleaner which looks as you would expect a traditional vacuum cleaner to look like (it stands up and it looks like a hoover)!. There were various colour combinations available at the time and for some reason we went for the quite ugly colour clash of the purple and green version which, looking back now wasn't a great choice. The vacuum cleaner is made mostly out of a very hard and sturdy plastic, with a bit of a marble effect all over which does make it look a bit nicer up close.

On the side of the vacuum cleaner is the number for a helpline if you should experience any problems. The line is open 8am-8pm 7 days a week. I have never used the helpline (a good thing surely) so cannot comment on the service it provides, however it is good to know it is there.

*Bigger is not always better*

As our main household vacuum cleaner we wanted something big, sturdy and that was going to last. This is certainly true of this model, although alongside grandeur comes it's difficulties....

The vacuum cleaner takes a lot of storage space. Luckily we have a utility room in which he can live him - we have tried to push him into the under the stairs cupboard previously (he clashes with the wallpaper) but he is too tall and bulky.

Whilst the vacuum cleaner has a carry handle so you can carry it around the house and upstairs it is so big and bulky that carrying it can be a challenge and very awkward indeed. Although we did suck (ahem) it up for a few years and carried it up and down stairs, after having a third floor converted we gave in and decided to buy an upstairs cleaner (I know ridiculous eh)!

In addition to it's bulkiness, the cleaner is also very noisy and this is not approved by pets. I suppose this is not unusual, but we can still dream of the silent cleaner....

*The redeeming features*

Despite my grizzles about the cleaner's bulkiness, I am really impressed with this Dyson which is why we have kept it so long. It has a very long cord so you very rarely have to swap sockets. Because in our house we have very long stairs and strangely positioned sockets we do have to change around in between hoovering stairs - however this has been alleviated a bit by use of extension cords.

The bagless design means that money is saved in not having to buy and put in fiddly bags. It is very easy to empty the bags - you just remove the main cylinder from the cleaner and empty in your nearest bag. As the capacity of the cylinder is around 4 litres I have also found that we can leave the dirt build up for quite a while before emptying (around 2 months usually). As it is plastic you can also give it a wash very easily. I also find a great amount of (sad) pleasure when I can see all the dirt and grime picked up by the bag (the cylinder is plastic and see through). Some people may not like the yuckiness - whatever floats your boat.

The vacuum cleaner comes along with a 5 year guarantee - which I have NEVER had to use. The handle on this cleaner has broken twice (unfortunately AFTER the 5 year guarantee was up) however it was only £10 for a local handyman to replace and you could probably do this yourself if you were inclined to. On this point however maybe a longer guarantee would have been nice....

In terms of maintenance they recommend that you change the filter every 12 months. This is so to prevent dust build up in the motor of the cleaner. Over the years I have had the vacuum cleaner I have had it changed 3/4 times and found it to be working to a very good level - although obviously I would recommend you follow manufacturers advice.

Over the years I have not see any loss of suction - perhaps this is due to the dual cyclone technology of the cleaner?!

*Safety comes first*

This vacuum cleaner has a LOT of safety features. I will try my best to explain what these means, to my knowledge.

The brushbar stops on obstruction and makes an incredibly loud noise (almost like a fog horn) that tells you there is an obstruction. There are also release valves that stop children getting their fingers chopped off (or at least that is what I think it means)! There is a cable life extender (the snake like thing at the top of the cleaner which you pull out to use when cleaning skirting boards, nooks and crannies etc.). When you put the cleaner back into upright position the brushbar cuts out and also there is a thermal cut out which means the cleaner cuts out before it overheats and thus prevents fires etc.

*What is the cleaner good at?*

Using as a traditional stand up, back and forth cleaner it is very good. Picking up dust, pet hairs, human hairs, foods (I tried flour the other day - it was great at picking up). I don't think there is anything this hasn't picked up!Whilst it is not recommended to use with liquids I must admit my cleaner has suctioned liquids out of carpets - although again I would not recommend this and would recommend buying an alternative cleaner for this made specifically to do that job.

*What is the cleaner not so good at*

Definitely not one to use in the car due to the hose being too big and fiddly.Can be awkward if you have long stairs (as previously mentioned).The applicator for doing skirting boards and corners is a bit square in it's design thus I don't feel that I get into every nook and cranny as I would like - although this can be resolved by a bit of light dusting.

*Recommended?*

I love this machine and it is still working and doing the job I need it to. However Dyson website do offer a trade in of up to 20%, it may be time to utilise and come kicking and screaming into the 2010's! I would highly recommend this cleaner however - one star deducted for bulkiness and noise!

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I hope that newer Dysons last this well!

---Intro---I had always wanted a Dyson, but my ex had never let me, so it was one of the first big things I bought for myself after he left. I love my Dyson (the DC19) which I've had for over 2 years now....and we'll probably have to bring it to my boyfriend's house when his finally dies.

On meeting my boyfriend I was pleased to find that he also had a Dyson vacuum cleaner, although his is a lot older than mine.

My boyfriend tells me that he bought this DC04 around 10 years ago, for around £150. That doesn't sound bad at all, even if it dies tomorrow, that will have worked out very cost effective!

Having mostly lived at my boyfriend's for the past year and a half, I feel equipped to write a review of the DC04, since I use it regularly.

Although this is not a product that anyone is likely to buy now (therefore I will keep it fairly brief), I feel that writing the review just goes to illustrate what long-lasting and effective vacuum cleaners Dyson produces!

---What it looks like---Although fairly old, I still like the look of this Dyson (I know some people don't, but I like the look of Dysons in general). I believe that this model comes in various different colours, as ours is grey and a nice bright light green. It looks exactly like dooyoo's picture aside from the yellow bits being green!

The cord is very long which is useful when cleaning the whole house as you don't have to change sockets that frequently.

---Using the DC04---This can be used in two ways. Either as a traditional upright where you push it forwards and backwards, or by using the long extendable hose (this also has a brush attachment, and another plastic bit which you can use).

As a rule I prefer using it in its upright position when vacuuming the rooms with carpets. It doesn't always pick up everything straight away, but I think that's most likely due to its age.

For the rooms without carpets (kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom) we tend to use the hose attachment to ensure we pick up all the dirt! This means you can also vacuum up other things like window sills, ovens, and the chopping board! Using the hose is fantastic for picking up all the hair which I leave on the bedroom floor round by my hair straighteners, and also for getting the dust which accumulates behind the bed and sofa!

Since the DC04 is quite heavy, it isn't as easy as some vacuums, especially when doing the stairs (carrying it is a bit awkward). However, due to the hose being long and extendable, doing the stairs isn't that much of a burden. I have to admit that when I first started using this, I did struggle a little bit with the hose and getting it slotted back in afterwards, but soon got used to it.

In terms of noise, it isn't the quietest vacuum, but then it isn't the loudest either. The noise doesn't bother me at all when I'm using it, but I don't like it when my boyfriend is vacuuming. There is a label on the vacuum saying that it is a cyclone with no loos of suction. Personally I feel that the suction on Dysons is unbeatable!

---Maintenance---This vacuum cleaner has a huge capacity (around 4 litres I believe), and is relatively easy to empty when it gets full (there is a maximum line which we regularly go above!) Personally I like it being bagless as I think that they are just a waste of money.

When the Dyson starts struggling a bit, my boyfriend washes the filter. He has never actually changed it, which I think is amazing for 10 years (it does say on it that they are lifetime filters). Cleaning the filter always gives the Dyson a new lease of life - but I think we are running on borrowed time now. When I consider how much it's been used, especially in the past year - getting a new kitchen involved LOTS of vacuuming (especially the replastering), and more recently the loft insulation and new central heating have created mess which needed to be picked up!

In the 10 years my boyfriend has had the DC04, the only problem he has had was the breaking of the extendable hose (which has happened twice), which he replaced with new ones on eBay for about £10. Dysons come with a 5 year warrantee, but it was after that had run out. To be honest I think that this is due to the amount that the hose feature is used - my boyfriend certainly favours this over using it as a normal upright vacuum.

---Finally---I continue to be impressed by this DC04. It is 10 years old, and just keeps going. It is pretty heavy duty, and very well made. It deals well with usual vacuuming, but also when there is more major stuff to be done - like picking up plaster.

If you're not already a Dyson fan...then certainly consider one for your next vacuum! I just hope that newer models are as long lasting as this one.

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A great hoover for all floor surfaces, with a long lifespan

We purchased this when it was on offer in Makro and it was £130, which was a bargain as it also included and extended warranty period.

We have this 7 years on and the product is still going strong.

The bagless design is brilliant as saves money on refill bags. The way to empty the dust cylinder is simple, you just press a button that releases the end of the cylinder. Be warned if you do this outside over the wheely bin and it is windy, it often blows back in your face which isn't pleasant so I prefer to empty first into a carrier bag

The hoover is not too heavy so is easy to lift up and down the stairs and move to different rooms of the house. It picks up on all floor surfaces.

I am amazed how much fluff and dust comes up from my carpets each time I use this hoover. It really is brilliant, the way that is lifts so much dust that would probably be left there with an alternative hoover applicance. The hoover is powerful and has not lost any suction as it has got older. You do need to change the filter and wash them occasionally to ensure it maintains performance, but this is easy to do.

I have had to make one repair as I accidentally hoovered up a lot of thread which trapped itself around the brush and broke it. A replacement part was easy and cheap to purchase and fit.

The product has a long cord supplied which is useful.

There are several different brush attachments, good for upholstery or curtains and for getting into small crevices.

I would never buy another hoover brand again.

This is my second Dyson product.

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Does what it should 8/10

I don't think that you can argue that the Dyson Cyclone technology works really well - we are all used to bagless vacuum cleaners now thanks to Dyson, and I have owned three of these, but I hope that this review will pick up some of the good points but also a few issues that may make mean that this is not necessarily the "all out" best vacuum.

***Suckability*** There is no doubt in my mind that Dyson make the most powerful vacuums and as they say, they do not lose suction gradually as the container fills - when I first got mine, I used it on an old foam backed carpet - I was amazed at how much "dust" it collected until I realised that it was actually sucking the old foam backing THROUGH the carpet!!

***Practicality*** This model is heavy - I understand that he new ball ones are easier to move around, but you may struggle with this one, especially on stairs. However cleaning it out is really simple and I do like the washable filters which are green and good value.

***Tools*** These are good overall - one moan - why do Dyson make the long tool angled? It makes vacuuming tight spots in the car almost impossible.

***Noise*** Probably a compromise you have to make for power, but they are loud - almost Jet Engine loud!

***Cable*** Great length and neat storage solution.

Overall I would buy another , but if you have a small place, they are big to store so consider their new rechargeable one - my friend has one and it is very good.

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The model on which many Vacuum cleaners should be, and have been, based.

Much like the old tale of the sword in the stone, many a Vacuum Cleaner has tentatively approached my front door, daring to offer its services, and seek glory in the "halls of dust".

Well... when I say "tentatively approached" I actually mean, dragged clattering down the steps outside my housed and kicked over the threshold. Once the unfortunate appliance has been pressed into servitude, it is usually subjected to torrents of abuse regarding the quality of its work, and it seems to be mere months before it looses the will to continue, and is pressed, unwanted, out into the dank, and even dirtier world of Oscar the Grouch.

Now many people have paid me many compliments throughout my life, but perhaps none has been so well deserved as the praise that people have laid at the feet of my incredible money management, whipped up into a bean counting frenzy in my attempts to save up a deposit for a house! Tightfisted - which I take to mean strong! Cheap - which I take to mean excellent value! Miserly - which I take as a positive reference to the excellent business management talents of that entrepeneur in the Dickens novel! It's all been very positive and supportive!

As such, the decision to purchase a Dyson came up against quite a lot of resistance in my mind. I looked around for alternatives, read a variety of reviews, and eventually settled upon the fact that to obtain a quality product, I may need to part with some money.

Never one to be (entirely) defeated however, I bought a second hand Dyson.

It stands in favour of this companies reputation that, despite the fact that I purchased a battered example, dirty and in need of some (cosmetic) attention, I still have my Dyson today, and it is still the greatest Vacuum cleaner that I have ever had the extreme displeasure of using.

It has a removable filter, that can be cleaned periodically. It's easy to hoof around the carpet, thanks to the rollerball. It has an array of rotating brushes, that can lift the more stubborn bits of particulate out of your carpets. It can be adapted with a range of fittings. It has a small flexible hose that can be used to get into the smaller spaces, and most importantly, it has pounds and pounds of suction.

It is excellent, and it has served me faithfully and dependably now for years. With no bags, no need to replace filters, and no other replaceable parts, I am assured that my DC04 will continue on, costing me not one cent, until the day that the motor finally dies.

There is also a certain element of satisfaction to be taken from the simplicity and charm of it's design. Not one inch is wasted. Everything has a function. Every function is reliable, and perfectly user friendly. Need to get into a small space? The handle detaches to become a hose. Need to empty the barrel? It detaches with one button press, remaining sealed unto you press another button to empty it into a bin. This all sounds so simple, but it's like no other cleaner that I've ever used, and although I'm sure a lot of these features have now been cribbed by other designers, I'm certain that many of them started with Dyson. Design, in this respect can be quite a beautiful thing, and Dyson truly deserve credit for their efforts to keep everything clean, modular, functional, and easy to use.

In the end, I will always be willing to gush and wax lyrical about my Dyson, because I paid £60 for it, second-hand. I have however wondered if I would pay the full retail price, of a newer replacement.

Shamefully, despite the 5 stars that I intend to give this product, I think the answer might be no. Over £200 pounds just seems like an enormous amount of money to spend on a Vacuum Cleaner, especially when my instincts would encourage me to view this as a product that fits more comfortably in the £50-£100 category.

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An appalling vacuum that I will never buy again, don't believe the hype over Dyson!

I've tried to love Dyson, I mean REALLY tried. Based on the hype surrounding these vacuums I thought I was being incredibly unfair hating ours as much as I do, everyone loves the brand and it would seem that no home is complete without a yellow or purple machine sitting in the utility room - we've had two in six years, with the latest going 'bang' (literally) last week. Never again.

The Dyson DC04 is their 'basic' vacuum (although the price tag doesn't match this) and has the same 'Root Cyclone Technology' as the rest of their upright machines. When brand new it sucked like a dream, ridding my carpets of dirt that I hadn't even realised was there as I'm always very careful when I vacuum as having children around the house there are constantly bits getting dropped. Dyson claim that their vacuums never lose their suction, being bagless I must admit the suction is very good to begin with but within a couple of months it's just the same as any other vacuum regardless of how often you empty the dust container. And yes, sometimes they DO lose their suction completely - I just don't understand how Dyson can get away with claiming they don't to be honest, between the two we've owned I'd say they've lost suction on a fairly regular basis and when I've spoken to other Dyson users they've said the same!

The plastic build of the Dyson DC04 makes it easy to service as the parts just tend to pull away from one another and clip into and out of place, I've always liked this aspect of Dyson vacuums to be honest as other vacuums seem to be screwed into oblivion and it makes anything more invasive than changing the filter a complete mission. Actually, maintaining our appliances is Mark's job so I've just asked him and he tells me working on the Dyson is a dream - he can do much more on it that he can with any of our other vacuums (we've a spare and also one that 'lives' upstairs so he does know his stuff) as all the bits and pieces are so accessible. In the eighteen months or so that we've had this particular Dyson he's changed the belt (fiddly but possible with the right knack), cleaned the filter several times and also swapped a little piece of plastic over that had broken during some not especially vigorous hoovering. To be honest, regardless of the fact that it's so easy to work on, I'm not particularly impressed with the durability of the Dyson as so many things have gone wrong in such a short period of time.

My next issue is that the vacuum is extremely heavy, I'm no seven stone weakling but struggle to carry it upstairs due to the heaviness and also the fact that it's such a long machine. I'm only a shade over five feet and the Dyson really isn't much shorter than I am - the long hose means I can leave it at the bottom of the stairs while vacuuming them, but I'd still have to lug it up to do the landing and bedrooms. It's quite ridiculous that the vacuum cost well over £200 yet I had to buy a second hoover to keep upstairs as this one is too cumbersome to take upstairs as regularly as I'd like.

The Dyson is very easy to empty, you simply have to slide the dust canister out and touch another plastic 'switch' to flick the bottom open so that the dust and dirt falls out into the bin. This is a straightforward and non-messy job, as there are four long haired females in the house I often have to use a skewer to get right to the top of the dust canister and pull hairs out that have wrapped around the very top - this in itself can cause loss of suction by the way, as the area where the hairs tend to congregate is where you'll feel and see the air whipping around so the hair will block some of this 'cyclone' effect unless you really do keep on top of it.

The power cord is much longer than on any other vacuum I've used and this is useful if you have limited plug sockets, I like that this makes it slightly less time consuming to vacuum the whole house as I don't need to be constantly unplugging it and plugging it back in when I've finished a room and want to move onto the next one. The cord wraps around a couple of storage hooks located on the handle and there's a small spring clip to hold it together once you've wrapped it up, this works well and keeps the cord in place - actually thank goodness for these storage hooks as the way the Dyson is shaped I can't see any other way of wrapping the cord up tidily!

The vacuum pulls along nicely as the two reasonably chunky wheels are well designed and positioned, I've never been too keen on the way you flip the (umm) 'front thing' down into vacuuming position as it feels very cheap and on the verge of snapping off. Considering this is something you need to do every time you use the vacuum I'm very surprised it hasn't broken, although the plastic 'bit' I mentioned earlier that needed replacing was part of this section so maybe I was right in thinking it's a bit cheap and nasty for such an expensive vacuum. Pulling the hose out is very simple, again it's basic plastic clips that keep it in place and both pulling it out and pushing it back is a very easy job - thank goodness as I often have little piles of biscuit crumbs to hoover up and the hose is definitely the easiest way to do this!

So, that's the Dyson. In theory it should give you years of service, but in reality I don't personally think it has been any better than any other vacuum. Admittedly, when brand new the suction is superb but this dies off pretty quickly and you'll then find it struggles on exactly the same sort of things that others struggle with. It's an incredibly noisy vacuum, to the point where I can't use it after a certain time at night even for very small cleaning jobs as I'm worried about how loud it will sound to the neighbours - my eighteen month old son hates the sound of the Dyson and always cries when I switch it on, yet he doesn't so much as flinch when my mum uses her Henry vacuum!

Dyson supposedly have a ten year guarantee on their vacuums but it's not worth the paper it's written on; when my first Dyson broke we didn't fit the criteria, and when the latest Dyson broke we again didn't fit the criteria. It makes you wonder what the criteria is really, considering they make no mention anywhere of specific problems and issues this 'guarantee' covers. I asked whether a huge amount of smoke followed by the feeling that my vacuum was going to burst into flames was something they were willing to address but no, after going into great detail with questions relating to my home and family they helpfully decided that the issue had been caused by wear and tear. No ifs, no buts - the fact that the majority of my house has wooden floors, and that I sweep those rather than vacuuming them, didn't come into it. It really was a case of 'Computer says no' and there was nothing I could say that would sway them into fixing my machine.

So I've vowed I'm never going to buy a Dyson again. Oh, I'm sure some of you are Dyson fans but you just wait until your vacuum breaks at an inopportune moment and you need to shell out the best part of £300 for another one - you'll soon be reaching for the Hoover, as I have done now.

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Longevity and quality

I've had this vac since I bought my first house, in 2001, and it still works fine. I've had to change the drive belt a couple of times inevitably, but that's a straightforward job, as is replacing the hose. The main thing is, it still has the same decent level of suction it had when I first bought it. It's great for pulling up pet hair, and if you ever get a blockage, it's really easy to fix. The hose extends very far indeed, so you can leave the vac at the bottom of the stairs and reach the top just with the wand (unless you live in Blenheim Palace, obviously!).

The tools are excellent,and are stored on the main body of the vac.

All in all, this review should show that there is longevity in Dyson products, and that you they are worth the extra cost. If and when this eventually gives up the ghost, I will not hesitate in choosing another Dyson.

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A superior vacuuming experience

I had initially resisted the 'Dyson Revolution' that was occuring in the hoover world. To me, the idea of a bagless cleaner seemed like a passing fad and there was nothing wrong with my existing Panasonic vacuum cleaner.

However, I was soon to be proved wrong. Bringing it home from the shop and opening the packaging actually felt like an event, like unpacking a space probe. A little light assembly is required and it's all quite simple, but make sure you keep the instruction manual as it's vital you get it right. There are no complicated screws or bolts- it's just a matter of slotting things together. The unit is well designed as the moving parts are highlighted yellow and there is even a sticker with a helpline number on the side. Overall it comes over as a very user-friendly machine. Living in a household of 9 people with dark carpets throughout that show up all the crumbs is a recipe for disaster but not with the Dyson. Hoovering is now a five minute job, rendered much easier by the cleaner's wheeled design that allows it to get around very quickly. It's much less tiring when you don't have to drag a heavy bag cyclinder around with you, although the cord sometimes gets in the way. The telescopic hose allows you to reach tight spaces, but struggles to reach all the way up a flight of stairs. There is a useful set of tool attachments including a brush head for upholstery and a narrow head for cleaning behind radiators and under furniture. However, the tools tend to fall out of their storage spaces on the hoover so I tend to leave them in the cupboard. They're also somewhat hard to attach to the hose. Nevertheless, the Dyson will clean more effectively than a cylinder hoover. On the other hand, the powerful suction increases the likelihood of accidents so be careful if you've got kids. On the subject of safety, it's also not the lightest or best-shaped of hoovers for carrying up and down stairs so bear that in mind.

Another advantage of a bagless cleaner is that it should be easier to empty. Although there's no stressing with bags, emptying the cleaner is not a task that should be taken lightly. Performed indoors there's always the risk of spilling the contents on the carpet but done outdoors the content could blow in your face. Best idea I found is to do it in the porch! As it can be a dusty job I wouldn't recommend that asthmatics empty the cleaner.The Dyson DS04SY is by no means perfect, as there are problems with the tools and emptying the cylinder (unless I'm just doing it wrong). Nonetheless the practicality and effectiveness of the Dyson compared to other cleaners more than makes up for these shortcomings.

One last piece of advice, remember that Dyson do a wide range of cleaners that cater for particular needs. There are specific machines for dealing with pet hairs, allergies and varying floor types. Also, look out for imitation models as they increase in abundance as they may be just as good and almost certainly cheaper.

*Same review also posted at www.ciao.co.uk under the username Drifter_2000*

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And expensive household essential

During a task in series 7 of Big Brother Glyn opened a box in the garden that contained surprise contestant Aisleyne and his initial response was 'I thought you were a HOOOOOOOOOOOOOVER'.

That was the only thing positive I had to say about hoovers until last year when I moved in with my girlfriend and she had a Dyson. Also being a man with only fleeting experience with household items - I assumed these things were hoovers - but no, they're vacuums, that hoover things up. Hoover a brand name that has become the colloquial for a vacuum cleaner. So now when I look at the vacuum, I can't help but say to myself ' I thought you were a hooooooooooover'

It wasn't hard to suppress my initial excitement upon seeing this iconic item lifted of the removal van, as my interaction with vacuum has been minimal at best for the 27 years up until this point. Make no mistake, hoovering has by no means become a hobby - but this vacuum makes it feel less of the chore I would do anything to avoid.

Up until this point I would use which ever vacuum was in the house I was living in, and wouldn't use these that often - just picking up whatever cheap vacuum about once every couple of weeks. I had a one that had no attachments - but that didn't matter because the pipe had a big hole in it, and I had one that sucked in one end - and blew it out the other. Its fair to say my hatred of vaccums has not just been down to me, they share some of the responsibility.

This particular model of Dyson has been updated many times, and the models you'll find in most shops are much better than this already great product - but this vacuum, available from amazon for about £70 is a smidgen of the £250 asking price for a newer model, and to be honest this orginal Dyson model is great.

Its great for a few reason, the main one being it does everything you expect a vaccum too: its hoovers things up and it terrifies the cat. When you buy a vacuum you want to know how much its sucks, and this one is great - it lifts everything first time and it rolls smoothly. Its fairly loud, so no midnight hoovering unless you seriously don't like your neighbours/family - and on that odd occasion you need to hoover up late a night (last week I spilled a glass of red wine at about 2am - no other option than the stain remover and vacuum) its not as loud as some that I've had, but as it sucks effectively you won't want to be using it very long.

The second big boon for this vacuum is the fact its famously bagless. The dirt simply collects in the see through compartment in the centre of the vacuum, that spins satisfyingly, and when its full you just unclip and empty it. We use it about 2 times a week - we do have mainly wooden floors but we also have a very, very hairy cat so it gets emptied roughly every 2-3 months. In an old house share I lived in, I was annoyed to see the vacuum wasn't working just hours before an inspection. I opened the back to check the bag, only to find the bag was held together with multiple applications of cello-tape - the housemate breaking the news to me not only did it not work because the back was destroyed, but you couldn't by replacement bags anywhere (although as he never hoovered, I doubt he ever tried to buy bags). So, I was happy to see my 'new' appliance that came with my girlfriend didn't need bags of anything like that, its a product you buy and its stand alone - no need to buy replacement of extra parts, just how I like things like this to be (I never buy expensive razors - trying to remember the make and model currently in my bathroom when in the razor aisle is a chore I can live without, the same goes for vacuums) Not to mention this is convenient, its also cheap - maybe not warranting the hefty price tag, but thats an easy pill to swallow when you consider how much nicer for mother earth this appliance is it.

Back to the first point - the vacuum works well. Not only does it hoover up as you'd expect, the various attachments mean it doesn't have a problem being suited for all areas of the house. The attachments can handle the stairs, nooks and crannys - not to mention high spaces, over and under things and uneven surfaces. The power cable and pipe is pretty long - we live in 2 bedroom terrace house and you'll only have to re-position it once or twice if you using the pipe to get into all the corners.

The real beauty of this hoover, and I guess the Dyson brand came when it broke. One day it just stopped working and although I was relived as hoovering up was what was sitting between me and an afternoon trip to the pub - it was a bit annoying. I don't like buying things at the best of time, let alone in items such as hoovers.

Being a man, when I got back from the pub, half-cut, I had a go at fixing the Dyson. To my surprise and shock, the entire thing basically dis-assembled. Also being a man, I instantly drew the comparison with this vacuum and Lego. It was like a Lego vacuum cleaner as I could take it to bits really easily and just clip it all back together. Its like it was made to be taken apart by inquisitive people that usually end up breaking anything they try and 'fix'.

When I got it to bits, I found a yellow sponge in the middle that was labelled with cleaning instructions. Much against my instinct, I followed these, but it back together and hey-presto, working great. It was actually working better than before, as I'd also cleaned the storage part out.

I was pleased that not only was the vacuum easy to use, empty - it was also easy to maintain. It comes apart with no screws or bolts - all the innards can simply be cleaned and put back together with ease.

This actual vacuum, my girlfriend tells me, its over 5 years old - and has worked perfectly since I 'fixed' (cleaned) it, and has worked fine ever since.

Dysons are not cheap, but if this model is anything to go by well worth the initial payout - work great, easy to clean and have a long life span.

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We have had two dyson DC04's as I gave our last one to my grandparents as their old bag type vacumn had come to the end of its life and due to not having much money I thought it would be a nice gesture. I also managed to find another refurbished DC04 from eBay for around £70 with postage.

Having had our refurbished model for about 6months now we have had nothing but good experiences with the unit, there is only so much fun that can be achieved when vacuming the house as with all housework its the same repetative stuff but it makes life much easier when a device actually does its job efficiently.

The main pro's about the DC04 is the well built design, it has a great suction better than any other make of vacumn! You can also visibly see the difference on carpet when using a dyson in comparison to a standard device with a bag.

With the DC04 you can easily switch between hard wood floor or tiles and back to carpet without making any physical adjustments. All of the dust collects in a plastic bin which can be removed and emptied within a couple of minutes, this again saves time and money as you wouldn't need to travel to shops to purchase more vac bags, its also useful so you can see how full the bin is before it needs emptying. However even when the the bin is full the unit still continues to perform as well as when empty with no loss of suction.

The DC04 has two attachable brushes which are perfect for getting in to corners, around the edges of rooms and stairs etc, the extendable pole also makes light work of hard to reach places and can easily reach from the bottom of the stairs to the top.

The unit also has a decent size power cable which on average reaches across 3 rooms before the unit needs plugging in to an alternative socket. The attachable parts are easy to take off and put back and the extendable pole slots in and out without problem.

Dyson also offers a range of products which are universal for this device which can be purchased seperately including a dog grooming tool, car cleaning kit, flexi crevice tool which is designed for those areas behind furniture etc, and a few more nice little extra's which can come in useful in certain environments.

When packed away the dyson can easily fit in a cupboard under the stairs, or in the corner of a room. It has quite a stylish feel about it despite having so much plastic but you can't always have everything!

The dyson was quite expensive when they first came around, but with second hand and refurbished models you should be able to get yourself one between £50 and £100 depending on its condition.

If you are a regular vacumn user who has a passion for cleaning then Dyson is the one for you! It really does serve its purpose very well, every time without fail!

Now if you don't already have one go and invest in your new Dyson! =)

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I would recommend

We have had our Dyson DC 04 now for a few years and had Dysons before that so we knew they were good before bought this one. There are good and bad points to this cleaner and I will try to outline them all in this review:

Good: It is bagless and does not require any, so this is a plus point.. We prefer this as it is much less hassle for us as a family. It looks stylish and modern in a nice lime green and pale silver colour though our friends have commented that it looks a bit plastic! It is fairly lightweight at 8kg but my other half thinks it is heavy but she is considerabley smaller than I am so would find it harder to lug around, especially up and down the stairs. It not too bad for pulling round or taking up or downstairs as far as I am concerned..

It has a really nice long lead at over 8 meters which means that you don't have to keep going round changing plug sockets from room to room too often or have the need of an adaptor. It has excellent suction (230 airwatts, though not sure how airwatts are different from actual wattage). You are able to see the contents of the bin and how much dirt has been collected. It has fantastic cleaning tools which allow you to reach right up to the top of our ceilings (though they are quite low). No need to change the carpet length or make anyadjustments as this vacuum cleaner does that automatically.

Now for the not so good points: It does look a bit plastic and cheap - no getting away from that and the colours are not to everyone's taste. It comes only part assembled - we were a bit disappointed with that as we were expecting a fully assembled cleaner on delivery. Not everyone wants to see the contents of their bin so possibly it being see through is not to everyone's taste. The other downside is that the bin does seem to get full very quickly and when we try to remove it and shake out the contents we are invariably left with a little pile of dust on the floor - not good! It is also quite a noisy cleaner and possibly one of the noisiest ones we have had.

Weighing up all the pros and cons though we are pleased with the cleaner as it does manage to get a lot of dirt sucked up and leaves the floors impressivly clean, whatever surface we are cleaning. It cost us £135 but Dyson's are not cheap!

Recommended.

This review is also published on Ciao under name of sorehead...

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Don't believe the hype

Shortly before I met my husband he bought himself a Dyson DC04. When we met, married and started living together the Dyson DC04 was the first upright vacuum cleaner I had ever owned. I think I can safely say it will be the last. I have no idea how much was paid but I believe at that time (approx 9 years ago) these vacuum cleaners were approximately £200 depending where you bought them.

I vaguely remember my Mum owning an old beige upright Hoover when I was very young but the only vacuum cleaners I have ever used have been cylinder models. Initially I wasn't fazed and would even say I was excited about the prospect of getting to grips with my newish Dyson.

The Dyson Dc04 is an upright vacuum cleaner that also has a hose and the various attachments you would expect to get. You do not need a dust bag with a Dyson as all the dust collects in the clear container that makes up the main body of the machine. The wire for the power supply has to be wound around the hooks manually which I think is a standard feature on upright vacuum cleaners.

Firstly I would like to say that the suction is very good as long as you remember to clean the washable filter and empty the dust compartment regularly. If you forget either of these things or don't do them very often you can lose suction. Even though the suction is good I did find that pet was s till a problem and I often needed to switch to using the hose for stubborn hairs on my carpets and furniture.

The hose is quite a decent length and it also has a metal pole attached that makes it easier for using as you would a cylinder style vacuum cleaner. If I stood the vacuum cleaner at the bottom of the stairs I could just about reach the top of the stairs but this was problematic and awkward due to the metal pipe. I found it easier to vacuum as far as I could comfortably and then drag the Dyson upstairs to finish the job.

The weight of the Dyson is a problem not just when you have to carry the thing upstairs but also when you are trying to vacuum. I found that it took some effort just to push it and it seemed to get caught in the pile of the carpet and drift off to one side rather than go in the direction I was pushing. I think if you have nice big uncluttered rooms then this vacuum cleaner would be good but trying to get round any obstacles is hard work not just because of the weight but also because of the way the cleaner drifts off of its own accord.

The cleaner doesn't clean right up to the edges despite its claims and once you have done the middle you then have to use the hose to finish the edges and between furniture where the bulky head part cannot reach.

I found that the small attachment that I use for my stairs and edges seemed to break very easily and in the four years I owned this vacuum cleaner had to buy two replacement attachments. I found that they split easily and in the end I just taped the attachment onto the end of the metal pipe and didn't bother swapping the heads over.

I found emptying the cleaner problematic at best and seemed to end up making more mess than I had just vacuumed up. Firstly trying to wrestle the dust compartment away from the body of the vacuum cleaner was such an effort I always put it off until absolutely necessary. Once removed I found that trying to get the dirt and dust into the bin caused huge clouds to escape the bag or bin and just cause a mess. I ended up emptying the dust compartment before I did my vacuuming so that I could then clean up the mess made by the cleaner. I found that if I took the dust compartment outside I would always seem to end up with a face full of dirt and dust thanks to a stray breeze. Getting the dust compartment back onto the vacuum cleaner was just as much of a battle as getting it off and many times I have done it wrong and my husband has had to apply brute force and sometimes even leverage to get the thing to come apart again so that it can be reassembled properly.

After four years of struggling with this beast I swapped it for a Dyson DC02 which turned out to be a poisoned chalice but that is another review.

Would I recommend this vacuum cleaner....well all I can say is that it sucks!

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A decent Dyson that is still going strong years later.

This model is quite large, which suits my purposes well. I don't want to have to bend down when I am using my vacuum and this is the perfect height for me to push round comfortably and even the extending stair cleaner pole is brilliant, it just un clips by a big yellow button and then I can fit a tool on the end making it very simple to clean my edges and skirting boards, I can even fit the dusting attachment I have and do my coffee table and other items with ease. I use that the weight of this, which is quite heavy, is not really an issue for me, we live in a flat and I only have to pick it up when I am lifting it back in to my hall cupboard and have to lift it over a few things to put it back in the space it lives in. This is obviously just something that I do once every few days so I don't have to worry about how heavy it is as it just takes a few seconds and it's done, however, when recovering from my broken wrist I did find that this was a bit of a struggle. One thing that I found a little annoying about the size of this is that I had to bend down to wrap the long wire back up, it needs to go round two different circular half loop style pieces and this takes a good minute to do and starts to get annoying by the time it's done because of all the bending round and stretching (me not the wire).

Overall I quite like the look of this. The grey & yellow works well and the cable, buttons and tools are all coordinated to give it a fairly sleek look that distinctly tells me it is a Dyson. The power button is in a simple place and it works first time, every time for me so there are no problems there.

I am using my Dyson on wooden floors and occasionally I use it with a dusting attachment and it works very well for the purpose that I want to use it for. It does feel quite lightweight when it is whizzing across my floors and it is ideal for cleaning them, lifting hair, dust and dirt and making them look pristine again in just one stroke of the hoover. The wheels are protected with rubber so they don't damage my floors and the only thing I have to be careful with is if I am using the extendable stair cleaning part without any tools on as this actually ending up scratching the paneling near my patio doors which was a bit of a shame, but really just my fault as it's a plastic style panel and this is a plastic pole so I ended up with a few plasticy scratch marks but they were my own fault.

Quite often I use this for almost everything, loose shredding pieces that fell out when emptying the shredder, cat litter that has gone around the edge of the tray, spiders, dust, dirt, spilt food, almost anything goes in this hoover really and even when the bin is ridiculously full it keeps on going and picks up with perfect suction. The bin is simple to empty, you need to unwind the complete power cord, then a button on the front and a pull up of a piece of the back (which can be a little stiff) allows you to remove the bin and just empty it. Obviously, being a Dyson, this is a bagless vacuum and this is a great selling point for me as I don't have to faff around with fitting hoover bags or worry about running out of them or tearing one as I empty it and then having to hoover it all back up in to another bag!

The only time I have had to worry about my hoover being blocked up is when I sucked up two small mouse cat toys in error. They disappeared up the pipe when I was cleaning around the litter tray and then they got wedged inside the hoover. They were easily removed by taken out the bin for emptying and then I found both toys wedged just in the entrance from the pipe to the bin and these were easily removed by using my fingers.

Overall I quite enjoy using this Dyson. It allows me to keep my home clean, use it for various uses really and I even use this long hose for cleaning cobwebs if I notice one when my husband is not home to dust them down for me. This cleans my floors well, is simply to empty and even though mine is a couple of years old now it has not let me down. Mine was purchased second hand, for just £35, from eBay and I have now been using it for a full year with no problems at all. In this time I have not bothered to wash the filters once and I probably only empty this every one or two weeks which is usually dependent on whether or not I have sucked a spider up lately and then convinced myself that it's babies are going to be hatching inside this bin! That is usually the point at which I am very glad to have a man around the house who can deal with things like that for me!

I love how handy this is to use, it's large, heavy but it's not an issue for me. The stair cleaning tool is fantastic as it is lovely and long and means that I can clean me skirting boards, dust for cobwebs and even clean the outside of my balcony with minimal bending on my part. The long power cord is fantastic as it means that if I use a plug socket in the hall I can just about stretch the hoover enough to do my entire flat without having to unplug it and when you are lazy, like me, it's the little things that mean a lot to you!

I was very pleased with the bargain price that I paid for mine, second hand, and I would definitely recommend this if you can find one for under £40, like I did, as it's worth every penny and my floors have never been cleaner and easier to maintain.